In fact, Michelle personally approved the three courses the lucky attendees will feast on tonight. “We had a meeting with her as she chose the dishes...we gave her a couple of options for each one,” Batali said.

“It was if you had a couple of your old friends over for lunch, and they said, ‘I like this one better than that one,’ so there’s no loss. Having them choose a dish was the idea behind the taste test.”

From the first lady's final harvest from her White House garden, Batali will use eggplant, currant tomatoes, rosemary and cinnamon basil in canapés that attendees will snack on before the dinner.

And while he prepares Michelle's favorite foods for the dignitaries in attendance, Batali will be wearing his signature orange Crocs — well, unless the White House tells him no.